On the morning of Thursday, March 24, as part of the weekly report of the Security Cabinet belonging to the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), the head of the agency, Laura Velázquez Alzúa, announced the details of the landslide that the Grand Canyon of Sumidero suffered last Tuesday, March 22, in the Magic Town of Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas.
The secretary assured that after an inspection, no risks were identified and the area will be reopened.
At 02:57:28 hours on Tuesday, the National Seismological Service (SSN) recorded an earthquake of magnitude 3.8 and a depth of 126 kilometers, located 167 kilometers from the Sumidero Canyon.
It was until 12 o'clock and 20 minutes that the detachment of a rock wall was reported on the site, so, with the support of the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) and the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), the tourist navigation on the site was closed. There were no injuries or injuries.
The affected terrain includes 15 cubic kilometers of rock, equivalent to two cargo trucks.
Laura Velázquez, reported that the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) made a tour at the point closest to the landslide, through which no risk of instability or obstacle was found in the cause for navigation; in the same way, State Civil Protection carried out an overflight in the area where determined that there were no material losses.
Yesterday, 23 March, following a meeting and evaluation by an inter-institutional group, said the Civil Protection Officer, it was concluded that there is no security risk, and that the passage to tourist boats will be partially reopened, through the marking of the area and preventive recommendations and risk reduction.
However, the passage of boats in the Grijalva river area will be restricted in a strip of 200 meters upstream and 200 meters downstream where the incident occurred, this to ensure the safety of tourists and workers.
On the day of the events, on Tuesday, March 22 at 14:46 hours, the Institute of Civil Protection of the State of Chiapas, reported on its social networks what happened after an earthquake of 4.5 degrees with epicenter in the municipality of Pijijiapan, in the same entity.
It is read in the Twitter post.
On social networks, videos captured by boatmen and tourist service providers began to be disseminated, in which the the exact moment of the collapse and how the column of smoke was built.
This is not the first time something similar has happened in the area. In January 2020, a similar detachment was also recorded in this natural colossus. Then tourist navigation was also suspended and there were no casualties. According to Civil Protection, between 2014 and 2015 there were also landslides due to earthquakes.
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